For most of the years since 1933, UCLA baseball players have peered into the stands at their home field and smiled at their usual assortment of fans. Moms, dads and girlfriends for sure. But many times, they also nod to disheveled retired Marines, ex-Navy officers with oak-leaf "scrambled eggs" on their caps and proud veterans still wearing camouflage. "When I was there in the '60s, watching us was an outlet for veterans," former Bruins first baseman Rick Ganulin recalled.

UCLA baseball players get the weekend off to enjoy some honors. The Bruins play Mississippi State in the best-of-three College World Series final, which begins Monday. Two players who helped get the Bruins there were singled out Saturday. Reliever David Berg, whose 23 saves has tied the NCAA single-season record, and shortstop Pat Valaika were named to the All-West Region team. Valaika, who leads the team in home runs (five) and runs batted in (46), was also one of nine players named to the NCAA Rawlings Gold Glove team.

San Diego third baseman Kris Bryant entered the NCAA baseball tournament a potential top-five draft pick. He left with a bottom 10 moment. Bryant was hitting .340 with a nation-leading 31 home runs before a lost weekend at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Bryant went two for 13 in four games. Both were infield singles. “I didn't have the weekend I wanted to,” Bryant said. “I didn't really help my team as much as I wanted to, but sometimes you have to tip your hat to the pitcher and sometimes they make a good pitch.” Bryant's best moment came in a 6-0 loss to UCLA that eliminated the Toreros.

UCLA played the toughest schedule in college baseball and won a share of the Pac-12 Conference title. On Monday, the NCAA rewarded the Bruins by seeding them No. 2 nationally in the 64-team playoffs. "It says a lot about our players and the job they did," said UCLA Coach John Savage, whose team is 42-14. "The bar is about 35 wins on the West Coast. When you get to 40, it's pretty unique. " UCLA will host a regional, and Cal State Fullerton and Pepperdine will be on the road when the playoffs begin Friday.

The NCAA baseball selection committee appears to be having an off season. The 64-team tournament started nearly three weeks ago with eight seeded teams. Only three remain — No. 1 North Carolina, No. 3 Oregon State and No. 4 Louisiana State. All three came out of the weekend in the losers' bracket at the College World Series. UCLA and North Carolina State, who play Tuesday at TD Ameritrade Stadium, were not projected to be here. Yet both are two victories shy of going to the best-of-three final.

Northridge became the last word in college baseball on Monday, much to the relief of a group of Cal State Northridge players and school officials who huddled together to watch the 48-team NCAA baseball regional field announced on national cable television. The Matadors, 41-16-1 in their first season of Division I competition, will meet Fresno State (37-20) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the first round of regional action at Fresno State's Beiden Field.

Scott Marrett pitched 7 innings of relief Sunday to help Pepperdine defeat Nebraska, 7-6, in the NCAA West I Regional baseball tournament. Pepperdine earned the right to play Stanford in a game later Sunday, and the Cornhuskers were knocked out of the double-elimination tourney. Pepperdine tied the score, 4-4, in the seventh when Brad Bierley singled home Nezi Balelo.

The NCAA baseball selection committee appears to be having an off season. The 64-team tournament started nearly three weeks ago with eight seeded teams. Only three remain — No. 1 North Carolina, No. 3 Oregon State and No. 4 Louisiana State. All three came out of the weekend in the losers' bracket at the College World Series. UCLA and North Carolina State, who play Tuesday at TD Ameritrade Stadium, were not projected to be here. Yet both are two victories shy of going to the best-of-three final.

San Diego third baseman Kris Bryant entered the NCAA baseball tournament a potential top-five draft pick. He left with a bottom 10 moment. Bryant was hitting .340 with a nation-leading 31 home runs before a lost weekend at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Bryant went two for 13 in four games. Both were infield singles. “I didn't have the weekend I wanted to,” Bryant said. “I didn't really help my team as much as I wanted to, but sometimes you have to tip your hat to the pitcher and sometimes they make a good pitch.” Bryant's best moment came in a 6-0 loss to UCLA that eliminated the Toreros.

Arizona State and Columbia could meet up this weekend in the NCAA baseball regional at Cal State Fullerton. The two schools are far apart academically (Columbia is fourth and Arizona State 139thin the U.S. News & World Report rankings), but both have produced top baseball players: Lou Gehrig (Columbia, 1922-23) and Barry Bonds (1982-86). Gehrig had 493 home runs. Bonds had 762 home runs. Gehrig won two MVP awards. Bonds won seven MVP awards. Gehrig won six World Series championships.

USC fired baseball coach Frank Cruz for knowingly violating NCAA rules that limit the number of hours athletes can spend in activities directed or supervised by the coaching staff, Athletic Director Pat Haden said. Dan Hubbs, in his second season as the Trojans' associate head coach and pitching coach, was named head coach for a team that opens its season Friday against Cal State Fullerton. USC, which is on NCAA probation for violations related to former football player Reggie Bush and former basketball player O.J. Mayo, also announced that it had self-imposed a reduction in the number of baseball practice hours for this season and next year.

NCAA baseball super regional UCLA (45-14) vs. Texas Christian (40-20) at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Schedule: Friday, 6 p.m. (ESPN); Saturday, 6 p.m. (ESPN2); Sunday, if necessary, 7 p.m. (ESPN2). Tickets: All-session adults, $42; youth (3-16), $30. All-session general admission adults, $40; youth, $28. Single-game tickets may be available. Online at uclabruins.com or (310) 825-2946. Last time: UCLA last played in a super regional in 2010, when the Bruins defeated Cal State Fullerton two games to one. UCLA and TCU last met at the 2010 College World Series in Omaha, where the Bruins won two of three games.

UCLA played the toughest schedule in college baseball and won a share of the Pac-12 Conference title. On Monday, the NCAA rewarded the Bruins by seeding them No. 2 nationally in the 64-team playoffs. "It says a lot about our players and the job they did," said UCLA Coach John Savage, whose team is 42-14. "The bar is about 35 wins on the West Coast. When you get to 40, it's pretty unique. " UCLA will host a regional, and Cal State Fullerton and Pepperdine will be on the road when the playoffs begin Friday.